It is interesting to note that political pundits, the news media, and much of America is trying to find something to blame; and I believe that is significant. You see, it was Jared Lee Loughner who killed, but, according to the conventional wisdom, someone or something had to drive him to kill. Some are crying out for more gun laws, some are crying out for laws to restrict speech while others are pointing to mental illness as the OUTSIDE cause of this mass murder.
The real problem here is not outside influences, but inward sin. No doubt, there are many outside influences that contribute to the detriment of society, however, these outside elements do not start a fire, but merely fan the flames of the already present and powerful inward depravity. Sin was conceived in a wicked heart was manifested in wicked actions. Unless we as a society look to the true cause of this tragedy, we will never seek the only remedy. Romans 3 speaks to the true cause of this tragedy.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
God has given us an accurate description of the human heart. We are born naturally depraved sinners with our hearts warped toward wickedness. No one needs to teach children to sin and do wrong, but we have to teach them to do right. Children naturally lie, parents must teach them to tell the truth. It is part of God’s common grace to man that the many wicked thoughts and intents of the heart remain in the heart and are not carried out into action, like unfortunately happened this weekend. The boiling rage some feel when they are cut off in traffic is the inward hatred of the heart, and allowed to be carried out, would result in murder.
We only have to look at the political rhetoric this week to understand this. There is indeed, hatred between many on both the left and right side of American politics. This is nothing new to our era, and in fact, is quite tame compared to earlier times of our nation. Don’t misunderstand here, I am not saying that the political speech contributed to this crime. What I want to illustrate here, is the self-righteous, sanctimonious vitriol that is spued at political enemies is the same HEART sin of murder. The same anger that causes a person to liable and slander another person comes from the heart and is the same root sin that if carried out, ends in murder. Obviously we know when someone speaks with hyperbolic language. My thoughts here comes to the hatred. There is nothing wrong with strong debate, and vehemently opposing your political opponent, that is the nature of our government. Sarah Palin did not contribute to this shooting, and those that are blaming her know this, and that is the point here. You can hear the underlying jealousy, and personal dislike of their ideological enemies disguised as "concern" for the country and are taking any opportunity to destroy them. The sad irony here is that those seeking to blame a murder on a political enemy because their hatred for their enemy, is the same sin that was first conceived in the actual crime.
Matthew 5:21-22 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Matthew 15:18-19 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies
So while many in the media are looking for outside sources or other people to pin the blame on, they are illustrating the inward problem of sin in themselves.
So, on the note of speech for Christians, the Bible tells us that we must give an account for “every idle word” that we speak, so that does play a factor. Whether or not words are wise or not, that is a different discussion. However, the speech isn’t the real problem in our situation now, it is a symptom of the SAME problem that is found in all people. Any words we speak are the overflow of our heart. When someone speaks hateful words, they are coming from a hateful heart.
Let’s suppose that we regulate the speech of Americans, will that solve the problem? No, because we have not yet gotten to the source of the problem, we haven’t gone deep enough. The problem is not the words, but where those words come from, the heart. The root of the problem is still active and working. If we get to the root of the problem, the heart, then the symptoms will be cured.
Jesus said murder first starts in the heart. If we ban guns, will that stop murder? No, because that is not the root cause of murder, the wicked heart is the root cause. Unless the heart is remedied, the outpouring of the heart will still be wicked. You will only change the tool of the sinner to sin. Society is always looking to second causes and trying to cure the symptom instead of the disease.
This is where the Christian MUST step in and speak up. We have the cure. It does, and is a quite hopeless situation. When the secularist looks at the problem, they are exasperated because the reality of this tragedy strikes home, there is nothing that we can do to stop men from evil. When the secularist looks to make laws, and ban certain freedoms, they do so because they have nowhere else to turn. There has to be (in their mind) some outside reason for this tragedy, because if there is not, then that means that there is evil.
Stopping speech only will stop the mouth, not the thoughts and the source of the speech. Banning guns would only make is somewhat more difficult to obtain a weapon to kill, it would not stop murder (Genesis 4) and it certainly would not cure the heart.
The ultimate solution to the problem is not to treat the symptoms but the disease. We don’t need new laws, but we need new hearts. First, you must realize that what the Bible says about you and your heart is true, it is hopelessly and fully bent towards sin and desperately wicked. We all are sinners. You are just as much a sinner as Jared Lee Loughner. Though you have not carried out you sin as fully as you could, you have none the less broken God’s law. By God’s grace, you are not as bad as you could be, you are lost with a heart that is the enemy of God.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
If that is your view, praise God, because there is hope. The hope lies not within ourselves, but in Christ Jesus the Lord.
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
We don’t need reform, we need a new heart. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, to change our hearts, to change our loves and desires in regeneration. We are not “reformed” we are “reborn”. New hearts, new creatures in Christ. Jesus saves us from our sins and the old things of the natural heart pass away and all things become new. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ, those penitent believers, who come to the Saviour are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are cleansed from our unrighteousness and saved from our sin.
The answer is the gospel of Christ. Salvation, the new birth, regeneration, Jesus Christ; He is answer to the problem. There is no government solution to rid a heart of sin.
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